Chapter 3: A Silver of Truth
Recap The journey to the veiled marsh is a peaceful one, allowing the Crew some downtime to rest, recover and take stock of what had transpired the last few weeks. Nightmist spends most of her time inside her room, away from the sunlight, and finds a small box underneath her floorboards containing a small spider doll made of silk and the remnants of what look like a deed to some property in the town of Stonebrook. Chuck spends her time fashioning a crude shield out of the kitchen table, making a rumball court and doing their best to repair the backhalf of the ship with Yarith. Yarith does some investigating and discovers that whatever damaged the ship must have been magical in nature and that the slow speed of the ship is probably due to the damage it had sustained, he then spends the rest of the time taking stock of the information he has, to see if he can find any clues as to what the Crown Arcanum and Crown Advisor would want from his rival, Lucios Vardius. Razorfin spends some time reading the book he obtained at Madam Iola's, and spends some time connecting with the Ship, also detecting that the ship is seriously injured. Bonesnap begins communicating with Pixie, their newfound pitbull, and discovers that Pixie had been on the ship for the past three weeks while the Crown Guard were ransacking the ship and searching for something. She also seems to be under the impression that she should be able to fly, or at least float off the ground. During one of their discussions, Pixie knocks over the trash can in the meeting room, spilling some glass shards of a flask. On the last night, Nightmist sneaks into Jerry's room, looking for any more information, but is unable to find anything. She takes Jerry's picture of the crew. As they near the Veiled Marsh, the Crew notice the Ebongale is sinking below the cloudline, to the point where as they reach the shoreline, the ship is only hovering above the waves. As they approach the Marsh, a mass of black birds swirl out from the trees and fly past you, an ominous, if majestic sight. Entering into the Veiled Marsh, the Crew quickly realize that following the river to Mossing will be a slow and arduous journey. Chuck decides to get out and wade through the water, pulling the ship by rope through the swamp in the most direct way possible. The progress is slow, but faster than letting the ship move on its own, cementing the fixing of the ship as a major priority. As they travel through the marsh, they come across a clearing, where they find a tusked beast and red rusted fur consuming a carcass. On top of the beast, is a small hooded figure. Bonesnap, Chuck and Yarith decide to approach the figure, asking for directions to Mossing. The figure turns to everyone, and says something in a language they do not recognize. And as Bonesnap and Chuck approach, they are attacked by two clawed, crustacean-like monstrosities hiding in the water. A gnome, who they had previously assumed to be a rolled pack on the tusked beast, escapes from his confines and splashes into the water. A battle ensues, with Chuck and Bonesnap caught in the middle, with attacks from the extremely mobile crustacean monstrosities and the crossfire of Yarith's spell slinging and the tusked' beast's eye beams of necrotic energy flying back and forth. Narrowly avoiding a death from a necrotic blast, Bonesnap manages to down the beast, with the captive gnome finishing off the hooded figure before it has a chance to react. The figure is revealed to be some sort of grey-skinned creature with silver-grey hair. The captured gnome reveals himself to be Sparrowhawk, a wizard who was on his way to visit his cousins in Mossing. The crew offers to let Sparrowhawk stay with them on the boat, as the Crew decide to rest for the night after a hard-fought battle - unsure as to what, and why those creatures attacked. The Crew are all awoken to the sound of loud clanking metal, and a brilliant, if obnoxious voice from below. This man is Gawain Pelleas Dagonet the Lesser of the House Lamorak of Stonebrook. With him is Irren, the Crown Arcanum initiate the Crew had met in Inabur that had given them the Spoon of Rusting and the knowledge to affix souls into masterwork items. She reveals that she knows their true identities as the Crew of the Ebongale and she had been looking for them all to warn them that the Crown Arcanum had taken her research and declared such research forbidden. She met Gawain in Stonebrook and decided to put up with his overly-chivalrous demeanor due to him being an extra body for protection. the two of them had been traveling through the Veiled Marsh, avoiding most of the most dangerous encounters through the help of a small sentient mushroom they had come across, who warned them of a rising presence in the marsh by the name of "Daxelton". The Crew welcome Irren, and have many questions for her, while Chuck and Gawain pull the ship closer to Mossing. Irren also explains the concept of affixing souls into items to Sparrowhawk, who takes the spell formula to study on his own. She volunteers to investigate a way to help fix/heal the ship, and to investigate the nature of how the ship can fly, and if there is indeed a soul locked inside. Yarith asks Irren if she knew of Lucios at her time in LeCrafk, and she admits she knew of him, revealing that Lucios' graduate thesis was on the safe transportation between planes of existence, and that it was this research that caught the attention of Lord Delmas, the Crown Advisor. Irren also briefly bonds with Yarith over the fact that they are two brilliant spell-casters, banished from magical institutions, although she makes a point to note that at least she did in fact graduate. Razorfin takes Irren to Jerry's room and shows her the scroll he had found in the room before anyone was looking. Jerry explains that this is a scroll that teaches the user how to cast Glyph of Warding - particularly the Explosive Runes variety. She cautions Razorfin to avoid practicing it as his first spell, as the spell is powerful enough to cause a large magical explosion that could further damage the ship. Finally, the Crew make it to Mossing, a small village of wooden shacks assembled together with wooden decks and stilts over the swampy waters. They are met by a small party of villagers who do not look pleased at the site of newcomers. A portly gnome speaks up, making known the citizen's dislike for those from the Central Cities. This gnome is Umble Griffis, cousin of Sparrowhawk, and proprietor of the only tavern in Mossing - The Ruffled Goose. At the site of his cousin, Umble begrudgingly allows everyone to step down from your ship, and the crowd disperses. As they are led to the Ruffled Goose, Nightmist notices a pair of tabaxi, carrying supplies with them and whispering amongst themselves, eyeing your group. In the Ruffled Goose, they find an empty bar and a piano that plays on its own. Umble asks if they are all here for the job, directing them to a job listing. He also asks whether Bonesnap is a part of the rest of the "Animal People" who had made camp a few months ago just outside of Mossing. He notes that Bonesnap is wearing the same eagle totem as someone else in the camp. Everyone confesses that while they were not here for the job, a job would not be a bad idea as they find someone to fix your ship. The job is posted by a Lord Franzel Silverstaff, and he is looking for adventurers to help him secure Eastrush Manor, an ancestral home of a Lord Frederick Silverstaff. Umble tells them that they should speak to his brother, Lem Griffis, to see if he can help you fix up the ship, but also cautions them that Eastrush Manor, and the whole Silverstaff Family, is believed to be cursed. At this point, Lem Griffis, a thinner, wry looking gnome steps into the Ruffled Goose, pleased at the sight of his cousin, Sparrowhawk. The two catch up, and Chuck requests Lem to fix up her makeshift shield, to which Lem agrees for a price. While Lem is speaking with Sparrowhawk, Umble continues to relay what he knows about Eastrush Manor and the Silverstaffs. 150 years, ago, the Silverstaff family had moved to Mossing, believed to be a form of punishment for Lord Frederick's magical experimentation gone wrong. He and his elven wife and their twin children kept to themselves and were left alone by the townsfolk. But it was believed that the days prior to incident, they were visited on numerous occasions by someone Umble referred to as "The Witch." The night of the incident, there was some sort of loud explosion and brilliant light, and then Eastrush Manor just disappeared. Mossing citizens tend to avoid the area, but recently, every three days, the Manor appears back in its original location, for only a few minutes at a time, before blinking out of existence. Umble notes that since the disappearance of the Manor, the Marsh has become even more dangerous than it once was. He also relays that this Lord Franzel visits the Ruffled Goose every night to see if any adventurers have arrived to take up his job: investigate the cause of the disappearing Manor and to find a way to stop it from vanishing. Knowing that they have the afternoon to kill, the crew splits up. Razorfin pulls Yarith aside and expresses his desire to learn magic. After some convincing, Yarith agrees to help, on the condition that Razorfin finds an item of significant personal value that will serve as his arcane focus. In his room, Razorfin finds a fragment of a horn fashioned into a necklace, which he uses to channel his magical energies to learn the Frostbite cantrip under the tutelage of Yarith. Bonesnap and Chuck head to the Qxletecan camp. An older man of the Eagle Tribe, Wauld, welcomes them and explains to Bonesnap that the people in this camp are refugees, fleeing the Yuan-Ti empire that has been steadily growing in power and enslaving the other denizens of the jungle continent. Wauld mentions there is a small contingent, led by a pair of powerful Kenku, who have amassed a rebellion, but no word has come regarding the outcome. While at the camp, they also meet Broshk, a lizardfolk clan chief who prefers the use of his axes over words. Nightmist heads towards the Silverstaff Camp, and manages to talk her way in to investigate the former location of Eastrush Manor. Under the watchful eye of Zaleria, captain of Lord Franzel Silverstaff's gaurd, Nightmist discovers some ruined fountains with runes on them, and asks the guards to clear exits to the Manor, once it returns. Meanwhile, Irren is studying the Ebongale accompanied by Pixie, and Gawain is hopelessly attempting to connect with and assist the townsfolk, who seem to have a deep set hatred for those from the Central Cities, as well as the Raven Queen in particular. Night arrives, and the Crew meet a young and stammering Lord Franzel Silverstaff at the Ruffled Goose, accompanied by Zaleria and her glaive. He tells the Crew that after the recent death of his father, Franzel, Eastrush Manor was left to him, on the condition that the manor is still present, and there is not another older relative who wishes to claim it. The Manor was owned by Franzel's great-uncle, Lord Frederick, his elven wife, Rowena of the Glyphwood, and their twin children, Gwyneth and Wyick. They have not been seen since the manor disappeared 150 years ago. Nightmist also inquires as to whether Franzel knows of a Renault, to which Franzel replies that Renault was the very first Silverstaff. That night Yarith is awoken by floating motes of light, whispering in some foreign language, "Mana na-taré shurdars kar lürdars?" Yarith follows the lights to a small grey hooded fey creature, similar to the ones they had battled during their journey to Mossing. The grey fey leads Yarith to half-sunken ruins deep in the swamp, and is possessed by an entity introducing himself as Daxelton, Duke of the Veiled Marsh. Daxelton claims that the Silverstaff is actually a real and very powerful item that once belonged to him. The Witch Emarva stole the Silverstaff, and was last seen entering Eastrush Manor before she, and the manor, disappeared. He makes a deal with Yarith and Dimitros: if the Silverstaff is returned to Daxelton, Daxelton will work his magic and ensure that Dimitros has a body of his own, and Yarith's body will cease breaking down. Yarith and Dimitros agree. The next two days are spent tending to their respective tasks. Yarith continues teaching Razorfin cantrips, and tells Razorfin of his encounter with Daxelton. Bonesnap studies under Wauld, who re-teaches Bonesnap about the Anima, the Qxltecan Pantheon, and learns how to link his spirit with birds, enabling him to see through the eyes of multiple birds in a wide radius. Bonesnap is approached by a Tabaxi couple, Rope-in-a-knot and Coursing-River, also known as Ronah and Cory, and they ask him if they have seen their child, Elegant Rickrack, somewhere in the marsh. Chuck visits Lem Griffis at his cabin, and discovers that he harvests glowing honey from lightning bees. Lem returns Chuck's table shield with modifications and offers to fix up the Ebongale for you all…with some upgrades if they so desire...as long as they pay him upfront. Nightmist takes Yarith and Irren to the former location of Eastrush Manor, and together they attempt to decipher the runes on the fountain. They conclude that the runes are modified teleportation circle glyphs, and that it must be some attempt at teleporting large structures. The three conclude that if such runes encircle Eastrush Manor, then with some study and time, they should be able to modify the runes on the manor to prevent it from teleporting. On the second night, Irren gathers everyone together to show them her newfound discovery: that the Ebongale holds the spirit of a deceased Air Elemental. In the process of communicating with the spirit, the Ebongale inadvertently reveals their resurrection to Irren. Irren mentions that she will continue studying the ship, and believes that the air elemental spirit will need to be re-bound to the fixed ship, as somehow to bond between the spirit and the ship has been weakened. Keeping his two-soul existence a secret, Yarith asks Irren if killing a creature is the only way to bind it's soul to an object. She replies that it's the easiest and only known way to her. Yarith also inquires as to whether it's possible to bind a soul into another organism, corpse. Irren admits that she never considered this possibility, but promises to look into its' viability, although suspicious of Yarith's intent. On the third night, Bonesnap is awoken to the light of will-o-wisps in his window. Taking Chuck along, the two of them head up to the deck, where they are met with Gawain, who cautions them not to follow the will-o-wisps, as they are no doubt luring them into the swamp to feed. The two of them ignore the warning and continue on, but not before passing by Irren, who is sitting at the prow of the ship, seemingly very troubled. She reveals that she is beginning to have doubts about this soul-binding business, and confesses her hesitancy at re-binding the Air Elemental Spirit to the ship, as it is denying the elemental it's desire to return to its home plane. She says she will do what the crew decides, but asks Bonesnap and Chuck to truly consider the implications of re-binding the air elemental. Bonesnap and Chuck have an unsuccessful foray into the swamp, combating the will-o-wisps, and begrudgingly return to the ship. The next night, the Crew all arrive at the site of Eastrush Manor, leaving Irren, Gawain and Pixie to take care of the ship. As expected, the house flashes into existence in the dark of night and you enter. Upon entry, the manor is transported, and they find themselves in a different plane of existence, surrounded by a silvery sea of pale light as far as the eye can see. After a few seconds, the candle lights flicker, and they witness a spectral silver dragonborn emerge from closed doors, leading them to another set of doors with his emerald key before vanishing. Thus begins their exploration of the first floor of the manor. They uncover the library and drawing room, where they witness two spectral scenes play out. In the dining room they find the mutilated bodies of a previous set of adventurers, their bodies showing no signs of decay. They find on the bodies an empty glass vial, and a 1 gold piece with a faint magical aura around it. In the butler's room by the kitchen they find the half-body of Haroshar, the silver dragonborn, dead and encased in ice. They find an old destroyed laboratory, full of arcane symbols and the remnants of a teleportation circle. Inside the room is the body of an old woman in robes, and next to her a long iron pole with two rotating sections where the hands grasp, which Yarith takes. The last two rooms are the Conservatory, which houses an overgrown plant and the family room, which features the only painting of the family and a harp by the fireplace. After their investigation, the house is awash with red light and alarm sounds. Heading towards the 2nd floor, they realize that a large rolling silver storm is coming toward the manor. Flying in front of the storm, is a little girl, being chased by a few green-skinned gaunt humanoids. They land on the top of the roof, and engage in combat just as the storm passes through. The Crew decides to aid the girl, realizing that this girl is Gwyneth Silverstaff, the daughter of the family just the same as in the family portrait. As the storm rages, a few of them delve into the winds, taking psychic damage and being accosted by memories of those in the fight…and those not. The green skinned humanoids prove to be of little challenge, with the storm being the more dangerous element. Realizing they are outmatched, the remaining green skinned humanoids escape, leaving with a mysterious woman with a white coral-like mask covering her face atop a red dragon. She points her shimmering glaive at the Crew and calls out, "Thieves! You dare return to the domain of Queen Vlaakith? Prepare to incur her wrath!" Before flying off. After the small skirmish with the Gith, they are approached by a cautious Gwyneth Silverstaff, seemingly still the same young child as she was 150 years ago. She is suspicious of the Crew, and demands to know what their purpose is here. After telling her that they have been sent by one of her relatives' descendent, she seems more confused. When they ask her why the Manor is blinking in and out of the prime material plane, she offers little insight, claiming she has the situation under control, and instead retreats into the Manor to begin working on fortifying the defenses for the return of the githyanki raiders. The Cew learn that they have all been transported to the Astral Plane, a silvery sea that is found between the Outer Planes that the Gods and other immortal beings call their home. Gwyneth has been here for the past 150 years scavenging and surviving, never aging, sleeping or going hungry, keeping hidden from the Githyanki Raiders. At the discovery that the Thing has been released, Gwyneth states that if the party wishes to help, to assist her in setting up fortifications. She also hands Bonesnap a scroll of Decoy, which can lure out The Thing if they wish to kill the invisible creature before it decides to start killing again. Gwyneth also hands Yarith scrolls of Glyph of Warding and Arcane Eye, which Yarith uses to lay traps for the impeding raid. Nightmist practices utilizing her mind to walk on walls and ceilings, and Razorfin begins searching the rest of the second floor. Chuck stays with Gwyneth, sensing that the girl is keeping something important from the party. The party follows Gwyneth to her room, where they find an assortment of drawings, books on various subjects such as conjuration and history, and parchments covered with notes and with one with an arcane glyph written on it. In an attempt to unlock one of the rooms, Razorfin uses the Ruby key and opens the door, only to find himself in a different room in the house - the master bedroom. Razorfin then returns to the first room to find the body of Gwyn's deceased twin brother, Wyick. Inside Wyick's room are two large scrolls with family trees, as well as a sapphire key. Razorfin shows the group the Master bedroom, where they find a set of flasks with silvery vapor and a riddle to uncover an important memory. Meanwhile, Gwyn opens up to Chuck, and the two of them have a discussion about parents, family and what to do when those you love do dangerous things to keep you safe. It becomes clear to Chuck that while Gwyn has survived more than adequately on her own, she is still a child, and something, or someone, is still tying her to this place, though she refuses to explain anymore. Chuck finds the group in the master bedroom just in time to see the group having solved the riddle. With a quick "spell" check by Nightmist, the group confirms the correct vial and decide to inhale the memory together. Just as they do so, they are struck with a wave of déjà vu, as ytheir minds flashback to the kitchen of the Ebongale, and the vial slips, shattering into tiny glass shards. The memory is from Lord Frederick Silverstaff. He explains that he is in a state between life and death, the astral plane preventing his soul from completely leaving his weakened body. He reveals the existence of not just one, but two silverstaffs, one owned by the Silverstaff Family that is linked to the Astral Plane, and one owned by Emarva, "the witch" that is linked to the Feywild. Wielders of Silverstaffs were members of an organization called the Intolans, their purpose was to protect the fragile boundaries between the material plane and other planes that were formed after The Shattering, such as the astral plane boundary found in Somnahelm. Frederick has locked himself in the family vault, where he believes with the arcane glyphs inscribed through the house, he can complete the transportation spell to send the Manor back to the material plane. If he fails, the memory will provide the knowledge necessary to enter the family vault. The memory ends with four harp notes. These notes are the same notes that Gwyneth has been singing to herself. Gwyneth translates the song from Sylvan for Chuck and Bonesnap, who recognize the first line as the line repeated by the Will-o-Wisps under Daxelton's control in the Veiled Marsh. The song is about a love between a human and a fey, and also serves as a warning about the dangerous nature of the fey. With this song, Bonesnap recognizes that the Sylvan word for silver, is Shurdarsk, which is also Yarith's family name. During this time, Razorin pulls Yarith aside, and brings up his concern of handing over a silverstaff to Daxelton, as the Duke of the Veiled Marsh does not strike him as someone to be trusted, and instead they should seek Irren's help. Yarith takes his friend's advice, but reluctantly, as he cannot see another path forward, and his body is quickly failing. Just as the group starts to head towards the Family Room to unlock the passageway to the Vault, the Githyanki attack. While Yarith's explosive runes are able to eliminate one squadron of raiders, the house is quickly overrun. The battle is fierce, and through some clever uses of the poisoned and death-carrying vials, the party is able to whittle down the Gith forces considerably, staying cornered in one portion of the Manor. Yarith's magic seems to be particularly volatile, manifesting itself by reinvigorating his sorcerous powers as well as producing ethereal music in the background. Their efforts prove not enough, as the enemies strike down Razorfin, Nightmist and Gwyneth. Bonesnap manages to escape with what little life is inside him, and hides on the exterior of the home. Outnumbered, Yarith and Chuck surrender, and everyone save Bonesnap are taken prisoner and taken to the Family Room. In the Family room they find the Masked woman who was on the red dragon from the small skirmish earlier, examining the Silverstaff family portrait. She turns towards her new prisoners and takes off her mask, revealing the face of Rowena Silverstaff, "I believe you have some answers for me." Taken hostage by the dwindled Githyanki forces, the Crew finds itself severely injured and in dire circumstances. Yarith attempts to negotiate with the now revealed Rowena Silverstaff, who appears to be the commander of the Githyanki forces, but does very little to lighten the mood. Bonesnap, alone on the exterior of the house, makes his way above the Family Room, poised and waiting to make his move. Meanwhile, Razorfin, Nightmist and Gwyneth find themselves in an endless void, their bodies lying in the Manor, debating as to how to wake themselves from their unconscious states. Razorfin attempts to connect with Gwyneth as she reveals that her father is indeed still alive, or at least, barely. Rowena attempts to prod Yarith and Chuck for answers, under the impression that your crew had stolen something of value from the Githyanki Queen Vlaakith. She makes a deal, if your party assists them in claiming the Silverstaff they seek, then instead of killing them, the Githyanki will take the Crew alive as prisoners to Queen Vlaakith at her city, Tu'narath. Yarith agrees, and hands over the Silverstaff he had recovered from the Witch Emarva's body. Seemingly satisfied, the Githyanki make preparations to leave...but not before they are assaulted by the invisible beast of nightmares – The Thing. Bonesnap uses this distraction to make his move, dropping his eversmoking bottle down the chimney to further add confusion. A fight ensues, with Chuck attempting to carry the trio of unconscious bodies towards the harp, and Bonensnap setting to work on revealing the passageway to the Family Vault by playing the tune on the harp. Dimitros is knocked unconscious in the battle, and finds Razorfin, Nightmist , Gwyneth as well as his brother Yarith. The Shurdarsk brothers attempt to harness their growing wild magic surges and wake up all unconscious members. During this time, the Githyanki are busy dealing with the Thing. But realizing that there is no need to stay, they lock arms and teleport away, leaving The Thing and the Crew as the only occupants of the manor. The Crew manage to make their way to the Family Vault as Bonesnap plays the notes, granting them a small reprieve from the invisible nightmare. Inside the vault, they find Lord Frederick Silverstaff, barely clinging onto life and wielding a silverstaff of his own, oblivious to all others around him. After careful study of the arcane runes, they all make contact with Lord Frederick, who is astonished to see everyone, most especially his daughter, Gwyn. Frederick insists that his spell is perfected, and yet he can only manage to blink the manor back to the material plane for a brief moment before it returns to the Astral Sea. Yarith and Nightmist put their heads together and deduce that one of the arcane glyphs inscribed around the house must be tampered with. It is then, in a flash of realization, they realize that it was Gwyneth, all along, who was keeping the manor from completing the teleportation. She knew that if the Manor returned to the Prime Material Plane, there was nothing keeping her Father alive. Her desire to keep her father alive drove her to tamper with the glyphs, her plan being to contact the Raven Queen, the Goddess of Death, to bargain for her father's soul. Unable to risk her daughter being trapped in the Astral Plane, Lord Frederick uses his own set of keys to open a door out of the Family Vault and begins searching for the tampered glyph. The Crew follows, searching the second floor as Gwyneth attempts to track them all down to get them all to stop. During their search, the Thing reappears, and combat ensues once more, with Chuck and Bonesnap bravely fending off the invisible creature while the remaining three search the rooms. Nightmist finds the tampered rune in Gwyneth's room, and Lord Frederick arrives to fix the rune and begin the spell. Meanwhile, Razorfin finds himself in the Greenhouse and discovers a keyplate and door knob, with light emanating from the keyhole – remnants of what you deduce to be the splintered doors of the Frederick's workshop. Sensing that the battle with the Thing is near an end, Dimitros begins casting the soul binding spell that Irren taught him, just in time to capture the soul of the Thing as Razorfin deals the death blow. The soul is placed in Chuck's masterwork table shield. With the Thing destroyed, Lord Frederick is free to complete his spell, as the heartbroken Gwyn looks on. As the spell is cast, Dimitros begins to feel himself losing consciousness once more, the last fight taking a serious toll on his mnd and body. The last words he is able to utter, being "I don't feel so well..." As the Manor stops rumbling, and their eyes slowly adjust to the dim light, they hear three bodies fall. NPCs met Notable Items Obtained